This season's exhibitions, craft fairs, antique shows and xmas sales have left me questioning notions of value, especially around art and gift giving. In today's market place, where so much of what we buy is convenient and disposable, its tempting to buy gifts that are empty of significance. We lose sight of what true gifts represent and disengage ourselves from the process of giving, by choosing presents that are depersonalized and banal. Giving art militates against this sense of alienataion. Quality materials, precision workmanship, durability and inherent ideas help to distinguish art from dross. The next time you're tempted to buy trinkets or tinsel, remember that gift giving is a magical act of reciprocity that obliges us to another. Giving art serves to reinforce the social contract that bonds ourselves to others – giving art shows that we still care.